Arch support



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ARCH SUPPORT Filed Aug. 26, 1927 April z2, 1930.

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Patented Apr. 22, 1930 VUNITED STATES PATEN'I" OFFICE.

wILniAivr M. sCHoLL, or CHICAGO, lILLINOIS ARCH sUPPoR'r Application led August 26, 1927. Serial No. 215,571.

The inventionrelates to improvements in arch supports and more particularly to a novel device of this character which will support the inner longitudinal arch and also the '-5 transverse arch of the metatarsus.

The bones of the human foot are arranged to form four distinct arches resulting in tripodal bearing points located under the os calcis, the first and the fifth metatarsal 1o bones, respectively, or the heel and the great Y and the small toe joints.

In many cases of diseased, deformed feet the inner longitudinal arch becomes weakened-or broken down. The weakening of this 15 arch induces an unnatural condition and v of the device.

weakening or depression of the arch of the inetatarsus. An attempt to restore either one of these arches alone, to its natural position, is not always attended with success.

In conditions above pointed out, I have found it to be very advantageous to render aid to bot-h of the aforesaid arches, by combining in one structure means to Vrestore the bones of the foot, of both the arches, until they 25 become sufliciently strengthened, as a result of being thus relieved of undue pressure, to perform their respective natural funcy cover plate, and so fashioned that the second and third metatarsal bones rest above the end v of the transversely curved part of the metal plate, upon a yielding cushion provided by the cover plate, and by which the heads of the first and fifth metatarsal bones remain substlantially unsupported by the aforesaid metal p ate.

- line V-V of Figure 2. I

3') swing to cause it to lie more intimately unv The fourth metatarsal bone is also 4 supported by the plate but nOt t@ the @Xtll thatrthe second and third 'metat'arsal heads are supported. l f f Another object is to provide a metal under plate for an arch support, which is curved upwardly on one side to support the? inner longitudinal arch and which extends to the ymetatarsus and istransversely curved to underlie yonly y the second and the third metatarsal heads.A

readily appear to persons skilled inA the art .from'ajconsideration of the specification and accompanying drawings forming a part hereof., wherein:

- Figure l isa 4central longitudinal section Figure 2 is a plan thereof showing the outlines of a human foot.

Figure 3 is a central vertical section vthrough a shoe showing the arch support in place.

Figure 4 isa transverse section taken on i line IV-IV of Figure 2.

,'Figure 5 is a transverse section taken ,on

In all theY views the same reference characters are used to indicate similar parts.

The metal plate l0, of the arch support, is longitudinally curved on its inneredge from its rear end to a point near itsfront end to Otherrobjects, advantages andbenets will support the inner longitudinal archl of a foot.

' The front curved end ofthe metal plate is also transversely curved, as shown in Figure 4, and extends under the second, third and fourth metatarsals. The mid portion ofthe plate is up curved at its inside edge, as shown byV dotted line )l2-l2 of Figure 2 and as at .12 in Figure 5 tolie neatly under the instep or the .plantar surface of the inner longitudinal arch. v y

The plan outline defined by line 11 shows that the rear endof the plate'l() doesnot eX- tend lunderthe heel but only to the tuberosity of, theos. calcisand that the .outer rear end is cut away, as at -l'to permit the part of the heeloverlying this portion of the plate to bc c unaffected thereby.

-lhe :overlying leather cover plateli;-` is longer than themegal plate and iS prefsbly skived at its marginal edges. The cover plate is split at its front end, as shown in Figure 1, to provide an upper' flap 14a and a lower Hap 14h. Bet-Ween the flaps 14 and 14h a yielding tapered cushion 15 is inserted and the fla-ps are then cemented together and to the cushion..

The cushion insert maybe of sponge rubber, felt, or the like, as more specicallydis. closed in my copending application Serial No. 215,572 filed contemporaneously herewith.

The cushion 16 Which underlies the inter--V mediate metatarsals is shown in elevation in Figure 5. The plates .150s 145 Hwy 1363.8

` gitudinall'y curved to support the inner long-itudinal, arch of a foot, said plate being transversely curved adjacent the anterior portion thereof to underlie the second `and third and fourth metatarsal heads in such al manner as to give more support tothe second and third heads ofthe metatarsns than to the fourth, said plate Vbeing -cut away lacljaceiit the rear portion thereof to permit the rounded portion ofthe heel torest offthe plate.

2. An arch support comprising a metallic plate longitudinally curved to support the inner longitudinal arch of a foot, said plate -being transverselycurved adjacent the anterior portion thereof lto underlie the second Vand third and fourth metatarsal heads in such a mai-mer as to give moresupport to the second and third' heads Iof the inet-atarsn's vthan to the fourth, said plate being cut away' adjacent the rearr portion thereof to permitthe rounded portion of the vheel to rest Yoff'the plate, a flexible covering on and extending beyond said plate, and a cushion incorporated with saidcovering so `as to underlie the second and third and-fourth metatarsal heads'.

3. In a device of the AcharacterV described, a metallic" plate longitudinally curved to support the longitudinal arch efa focas-aid plate being transversely curved Vto support "the `metatarsal arch by underlying eirliy? the second and third-and fourth metatarsal@ heads,

a fieX-ible coveringover said Lplateand entending thereb'ey-ond,n saidpllate being''cut away at the rea-r'jportion ltheree-fto 'permit the covering being split to form a pair of superposed flaps, and a cushion element held between said flapsforsu-pporting the metatarsal arch.y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed by name at Chicago, Cook County,

Illinois.

A WILLIAM SCHOLL.

roundedfportion o`f the heel .to rest-fon said d i `covering vbut off the plate, and a cushin incorpQratedAW-ith said cevering'and "resting on 4til'ret'ian'sversely curved portieri of said 'pl ate 

